How bad is it Really???

[Lawn Dart]

I've been looking through the threads around here and it seems like the market for a professional pilot is pretty slim... is this a correct assumption... I mean I know its not the easiest profession to get into but if you get your hours up there and put some effort into looking around, not just localy, but the country.. couldn't a guy find a career somewhere making an ok pay?

I know your supposed to fly because its like no other thing but it would be nice to get paid for it too right.

Another quick question...

I had started out going to the U of M for aerospace engineering and working through the Marine Corps officers program and figured I'd fly in the military until some unexpected ankle problems threw that out of the mix... long story short.. I swithed to a degree in genetics and have 2 years left on that.... but in the back of my mind all I keep telling myself is I want to fly... I had started when I was younger... got too expensive and did the ROTC thing and here I am...looking at going to school for aviation now..

Any input??

Thanks for listening to my little story

 

[SkyBoy1981]

If flying is really what you want to do, then go for it. No one knows what this industry will be like a year or even 6 months from now.

 

[Goose Egg]

You just have to ask yourself if you'd be happier flying or doing something else.

In other words, are you in it for the flying? Or are you looking for riches and glamour? Because you'll never get rich flying, and it is far from glamorous. The sooner you realize that, the better off you are.

I wouldn't trade flying for anything. I'm dirt poor but I'm happy.

-Goose

 

[psysicx]

Its not as bad a people say it is.

 

[Tweaker]

goose egg said it well.

If there is even a substantial motivation for a flying career other than
the flying itself, you will definitely BE DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED; enough that you should do something else.


I personally can't think of anything I would rather do, especially enough to go back to school for it. Things suck in the industry, & I don't think the past major airline salaries are sustainable and will NEVER RETURN. That being said, you can make >$100K and enjoy your job. Just don't have unrealistic expectations, live within your means (not easy to do the first 10 years) and never forget this fact. For every person who makes their living in a cockpit there are at least 20 people who say they always wanted to be a pro pilot. As bad as things seem and are, I always remember how lucky I am to not have to wonder about that for the rest of my life as I fight the 9 to 5 traffic to get to my cubicle and endure office politics etc. etc.
Think hard and good luck.

Here's an idea, get your unrelated degree, and your pilot training, then give flying a shot. The field of your bachelor's does not matter, and you can immediately get a fresh start in your other field.

 

[satpak77]

No one knows what this industry will be like a year or even 6 months from now.

actually I privately have a pretty good idea what state the industry will be in a year from now

 

[FlyJordan]

actually I privately have a pretty good idea what state the industry will be in a year from now

do share

 

[msuspartans24]

goose egg said it well.

If there is even a substantial motivation for a flying career other than
the flying itself, you will definitely BE DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED; enough that you should do something else.


I personally can't think of anything I would rather do, especially enough to go back to school for it. Things suck in the industry, & I don't think the past major airline salaries are sustainable and will NEVER RETURN. That being said, you can make >$100K and enjoy your job. Just don't have unrealistic expectations, live within your means (not easy to do the first 10 years) and never forget this fact. For every person who makes their living in a cockpit there are at least 20 people who say they always wanted to be a pro pilot. As bad as things seem and are, I always remember how lucky I am to not have to wonder about that for the rest of my life as I fight the 9 to 5 traffic to get to my cubicle and endure office politics etc. etc.
Think hard and good luck.

Here's an idea, get your unrelated degree, and your pilot training, then give flying a shot. The field of your bachelor's does not matter, and you can immediately get a fresh start in your other field.

Very well said Tweaker.

 

[EatSleepFly]

do share

He said PRIVATELY.

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

How bad is it really?

That depends on who you are talking too. To somebody that has only been in the airline business from say the late 90's or so, it probably is not too bad. If you talk to someone who knows how it used to be before the RJ's outnumbered the mainlines, it is pretty bad.

It is a relative thing. There are still jobs out there that you can make a decent living at. But gone are the days of the airline pilot of old. No more will a flying career buy you the nice cars, boats, and personal airplanes that the previous generation had.

If your motivation is based on the lifestyle of the past generation, do not bother. If you like to fly and don't care if you ever buy a new car or home, then go for it.

Bottom line, as a pilot you will probably do as well as your peers from high school and college, but don't expect to be the high earner from your class! In fact two of my old high school buds out earns any regional Captain in the country with zero college education. Their professions are Window and Door contractor and installer, and soft drink plant manager.

My prediction for the future? At least for the next five years we will continue to see falling pay and benefits and the death of some of the biggest names in the business. In the long term, pilot wages and benifits will probably level out at about 100k for Captian at a major and 65k or so for the F/O at a major airline(In 2005 dollars). I doubt anything more than that will be sustainable with what passengers are willing to pay for transportation.

At least that is what my majic 8 ball says!!

 

[satpak77]

do share

in a year from now?

US Air will be liquidated, leaving XXX thousands of pilots in the employment lines

AA will have 3000+ on furlough

United may or may not be still in operation

DAL may or may not have filed for CH.11 and is taking a beating from AirTran

SWA will be hiring (big surprise)

Freight will be booming, esp in light of China (the brown/purple truck dont drive across the ocean)

JetBlue will be licking its wounds from SWA at Midway and Philly

RJ equipment, to include the ERJ-170, will continue to redefine the business

Oil will not be lower due to Chinas thirst for oil and gasoline

Iraq will not be better and weak govt may be overthrown by organized terrorist groups once US military is pulled out, "the mission done". Expect a WORSE-than-Saddam Iraq at that point. These groups are likely quietly waiting behind the scenes until the dust settles and we pull out, declaring "success" in Iraq.

Cactus will get a run for its money from SWA in Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago markets

Dont expect much more west coast advancement by AirTran

CAL will continue Mexico expansion and will dominate the Mexico market via ERJ's

Nation in record deficit

Stock market down

Interest rates up

Voice over IP will be the "new new thing" and old fashioned phone service will suffer

Real estate market will burst, like the internet market did in 90's. Nothing goes up forever.

Expect a re-run of Reagan times: We felt patriotic, lets kill the bad evil Russian enemy, but the market took a huge hit (1987) and interest rates went up, deficit went up, etc. We invested XXX gazillions in Star Wars which never went operational. "Leveraged Buy Outs" were "in" as was Savings and Loan fraud and bond trading. Movie Wall Street came out, as did Top Gun.

Expect similar boondoggles in 2005/2006

 

[FlyJordan]

Well not a very bright out look but I did ask. As for pilots not making the big bucks like they used to, I've recently been coming to the same conclusion myself and looking for ways that I will be able to boost my future airline salary (provided I even get one). Any ideas?

 

[350DRIVER]

Take the above with a rather large grain of salt. Saying Airways will be liquidated, UAL may be out of operation, etc, is purely speculation and is worst case scenario. The industry operates in cycles and it is currently in a downturn but that likely is not going to continue forever. What is likely to happen is the major airlines will look more like low cost carriers and their business models will have changed quite a bit to compete directly against them.

It isn't all doom and gloom as some believe. It will get better

 

[tuna pimp]

Satpak, I take it you're a staunch Republican then?

 

[satpak77]

I am indeed a Republican however I am little "let down" with our administration

however, yes, Republican but support ** some ** Democrat Party ideas

later